NORRISTOWN — During an emotion-filled hearing, a Towamencin father was sentenced to state prison for fatally injuring his infant son by striking the child’s head against a bathroom sink, apparently overwhelmed when the child vomited on him.

Jameel Earthy East, 25, of the 400 block of Lantern Lane, was sentenced Wednesday in Montgomery County Court to 15-to-30 years in a state correctional facility after he pleaded guilty to charges of third-degree murder and unsworn falsification to authorities in connection with the June 25, 2011, death of his three-month old son, Enzo.

“I can only imagine the amount of force that had to be utilized to create the two, gaping wounds to the child’s head,” President Judge William J. Furber Jr. said as he imposed the punishment, which came almost two years to the day that the child died. “I can’t imagine the utter horror as a mother or father of any child comes to the realization that their child is no longer alive.”

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Obviously distraught about the situation, East’s mother, Renata, sobbing uncontrollably, collapsed into the arms of a relative as her son was handcuffed and taken away by sheriff’s deputies for the trip to prison. A male relative dramatically carried Renata from the courtroom and down the grand staircase of the courthouse as her wails of anguish echoed in the hallway.

Sheriff’s deputies retrieved a wheelchair and with care assisted East’s mother with exiting the courthouse.

East, dressed in a dark suit, did not respond to a reporter’s questions as sheriff’s deputies handcuffed and transported him to jail. But before he learned his fate, East addressed the judge.

“I’m very sorry that this incident ever happened. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. I didn’t mean for us to lose our son,” said East, who maintained he wanted to be a good father.

With the charges, authorities alleged East knowingly or recklessly caused the death of the infant at East’s Towamencin home. Third-degree murder is a killing committed with malice.

The child was pronounced dead at 8:12 p.m. June 25 and an autopsy determined the child suffered two skull fractures, caused by blunt cerebral trauma. The investigation determined East, who was not married to the mother of the child, was caring for the baby alone when the baby was injured the previous day.

“It’s inexcusable, it’s unforgivable. The injury the defendant caused to this baby was very graphic, very gaping wounds to a baby’s skull. That required an immense amount of force,” alleged Assistant District Attorney Samantha Cauffman, who along with co-prosecutor Jordan Friter, argued for “a significant state sentence” against East.

The baby’s maternal grandmother, Rebecca Glick-Luby, testified her family has been “traumatized by his horrific death.”

“Our hearts are broken and our eyes are filled with tears,” Glick-Luby said, adding her daughter, still grief-stricken, could not come to court or face East. “She was a mom. Her sense of trust in others and her spirit have been shattered forever.”

East’s lawyer, Kate L. Taxis, who was assisted by defense lawyer Jodi L. Griffis, argued for leniency on behalf of East, hoping for a sentence of six-to-12 years in prison.

“He’s remorseful and it’s something he has to live with the rest of his life, his guilt and his shame,” said Taxis, calling the incident a “terrible tragedy.”

Taxis and Griffis argued the crime was one of recklessness and not borne out of wickedness or a hardness of heart.

“They were children having children and I hate to use that cliché but that’s what it was. In a moment of crisis he didn’t have the capability to deal with a child who was in distress. He basically lost it,” said Taxis.

A psychologist called by the defense testified East had relatively low intellectual abilities that affected his problem solving capabilities.

Nora Rector, East’s aunt, testified family members were stunned to learn about East’s conduct.

“Jameel has always been the kindest, sweetest person I ever met. We’re all still trying to come to grips with the fact this happened. We’ve never known Jameel to have an evil bone in his body,” said Rector, expressing sympathy to the baby’s maternal relatives.

The baby’s maternal relatives and paternal relatives sat on opposite sides of the courtroom during the hearing.

An investigation began when township police were notified about the baby’s injuries by officials of Montgomery County Children and Youth Services. Officials reported the unresponsive child had been transported from the Lantern Lane residence to Abington Lansdale Hospital on June 24 and then flown by medical helicopter to The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

The investigation determined that the child’s 18-year-old mother had taken the baby to East’s Lantern Lane home at about 3 a.m. June 24 so East could babysit the child. The child’s mother told authorities that earlier that morning the child had been treated at an area hospital for vomiting and had been released at 2:15 a.m.

The child’s mother said the child “seemed fine when she left the hospital and then drove directly to Jameel East’s home,” according to the arrest affidavit filed by county Detective James McGowan and Towamencin Police Sergeant Gary Wacker.

East, according to court documents, initially gave investigators inconsistent statements concerning the child’s injuries, either claiming he didn’t cause the child’s injuries or that the baby’s head struck a wall as East fell on a stairway while carrying the baby.

However, when East was confronted by detectives about his inconsistent statements, he explained that the child vomited on his shorts and that he carried the child to the bathroom to bathe him, court documents indicate.

East confessed he was “overwhelmed” as he entered the bathroom “and struck Enzo’s head against the hard counter surface between the two sinks,” according to the arrest affidavit.

“East said he heard a loud ‘bang’ as Enzo’s head struck the back of the counter below the mirror,” McGowan and Wacker alleged in the arrest affidavit. “East described Enzo as appearing to be in ‘shock.’”

East, according to court papers, told detectives he bathed the baby and then noticed that Enzo was not breathing and that Enzo’s “eyes were rolling back into his head.”

Follow Carl Hessler Jr. on Twitter @MontcoCourtNews

The following is an earlier version of this story.

NORRISTOWN — A Towamencin father is headed to state prison after he admitted to fatally injuring his infant son by striking the child’s head against a bathroom sink after he became overwhelmed when the child vomited on him.

During an emotional hearing, Jameel Earthy East, 25, of the 400 block of Lantern Lane, was sentenced to 15-to-30 years in a state correctional facility after he pleaded guilty to charges of third-degree murder and unsworn falsification to authorities in connection with the June 25, 2011, death of his three-month old son, Enzo.

“I can only imagine the amount of force that had to be utilized to create the two wounds to the child’s head,” President Judge William J. Furber Jr. said as he imposed the punishment.

East, wearing a dark suit, did not respond to a reporter’s questions as sheriff’s deputies handcuffed and transported him to jail.

With the charges, authorities alleged East knowingly or recklessly caused the death of the infant at East’s Towamencin home. Third-degree murder is a killing committed with malice.

The child was pronounced dead at 8:12 p.m. June 25 and an autopsy determined the child suffered two skull fractures, caused by blunt cerebral trauma, court documents indicate. The investigation determined East was caring for the baby alone when the baby was injured the previous day.

An investigation began when township police were notified about the baby’s injuries by officials of Montgomery County Children and Youth Services. Officials reported the unresponsive child had been transported from the Lantern Lane residence to Abington Lansdale Hospital on June 24 and then flown by medical helicopter to The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

The investigation determined that the child’s 18-year-old mother had taken the baby to East’s Lantern Lane home at about 3 a.m. June 24 so East could babysit the child. The child’s mother told authorities that earlier that morning the child had been treated at an area hospital for vomiting and had been released at 2:15 a.m.

The child’s mother said the child “seemed fine when she left the hospital and then drove directly to Jameel East’s home,” according to the arrest affidavit filed by county Detective James McGowan and Towamencin Police Sergeant Gary Wacker.

East, according to court documents, initially gave investigators inconsistent statements concerning the child’s injuries, either claiming he didn’t cause the child’s injuries or that the baby’s head struck a wall as East fell on a stairway while carrying the baby.

However, when East was confronted by detectives about his inconsistent statements, he explained that the child vomited on his shorts and that he carried the child to the bathroom to bathe him, court documents indicate.

East confessed he was “overwhelmed” as he entered the bathroom “and struck Enzo’s head against the hard counter surface between the two sinks,” according to the arrest affidavit.

“East said he heard a loud ‘bang’ as Enzo’s head struck the back of the counter below the mirror,” McGowan and Wacker alleged in the arrest affidavit. “East described Enzo as appearing to be in ‘shock.’”

East, according to court papers, told detectives he bathed the baby and then noticed that Enzo was not breathing and that Enzo’s “eyes were rolling back into his head.”